Milano Bakehouse
In great news for pastry lovers, one of Queensland’s biggest coffee brands is adding baked goods to its portfolio. Dean Merlo and James Wilkinson, the brains behind family-owned specialty coffee brand Merlo, are opening brand-new artisan bakehouse at Merlo’s flagship Bowen Hills store this Saturday July 5. Milano Bakehouse – named after the Merlo family’s silver-service restaurant Milano, which operated in the 1960s – will utilise state-of-the-art equipment to craft a top-flight range of European-inspired goodies. French-born head baker Thomas Meneau and Milano’s head of kitchen Deepak Pokhrel have collaborated with famed chef and food consultant Shannon Kellam (formerly of Montrachet) to create an offering featuring 30 sweet pastries and 25 breads, all made using sustainable and natural ingredients. Highlights will include the signature Milano Bakehouse sourdough batard and its hand-made, layered, buttery croissants, with some of the bakehouse’s range also filtering into Merlo’s Bowen Hills cafe next door. “We are also reimagining our menu offerings at our Bowen hills Merlo cafe to include an authentic Italian touch – taking full advantage of the fresh artisan goods baked within the building, a process which patrons can see for themselves, first-hand from behind the glass, just next door to our popular cafe,” says Dean Merlo in a statement. Milano Bakehouse will open to the public this weekend Saturday on Thompson Street in Bowen Hills – check in soon for an up-close look inside.

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Alsahwa Estate
Last week the Sunshine Coast hinterland welcomed a brand-new restaurant looking to champion conscious hospitality. Alsahwa Estate, a 30-acre regenerative agritourism destination in Palmwoods, opened to the public on Friday June 27, welcoming diners in to experience the first stage of what is envisioned as a multi-phase project. At the core of Alsahwa Estate is a new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant overseen by Sophie Phipps, a hatted chef whose resume includes a heralded stint at Spice Bar. Here, Sophie will look to tread lightly on the earth, serving guests a culinary offering that’s cooked with intention – dishes crafted using organic, spray-free ingredients that have been harvested straight from the estate gardens and sourced from local farmers. Highlight menu items include eye-fillet tartare with hand-ground mustard and salsa verde, sugo-baked polpette, chicken Maryland with pumpkin saffron cheesecake, and wild mushroom with PX thyme cream, mascarpone, macadamia and truffle. Moving forward, Alsahwa Estate will expand its offering to include curated picnics, seasonal long lunches, weddings, pre-booked gatherings, workshops and immersive farm-to-plate experiences. Head to the Alsahwa Estate website for more information.

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Angel’s Share
Calling all whisky lovers – later this month, Tassis Group will launch its own monthly whisky club night, Angel’s Share. Kicking off on Tuesday July 15, Angel’s Share will take over a different Tassis Group venue each month, inviting club members to enjoy a range of rare spirits sourced from renowned and small-batch distilleries from Australia and abroad, alongside a selection of paired eats. The first evening will take place at Tassis Group’s Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Dark Shepherd, where group beverage manager Ben Rolfe will be showcasing a selection of smoky sips from storied Scottish whisky distillery Glendronach – including three non-age-statement whiskies from its Master’s Anthology Series. “Australians are falling in love with whisky all over again – and not just the classics, but the stories behind every bottle,” says Tassis Group founder Michael Tassis. “With The Tassis Group’s deep roots in hospitality, we saw an opportunity to create something special with Angel’s Share – a whisky night that brings people together over rare pours, good conversation and an unforgettable atmosphere.” Tickets to the first Angel’s Share gathering are available now for $140 per person – click here to secure your spot.

The Umami Edit
Savoury flavours are set to snag the spotlight this month, as Fish Lane Arts Precinct celebrates our ‘fifth taste’ with The Umami Edit. This month-long activation will see several Fish Lane bars and restaurants offer limited-edition menu items and culinary experiences from July 1–31. When it comes to eats, diners will be spoiled for choice. Southside will be serving plates of wagyu beef gyoza with chilli bean and Sichuan pepper, Maeve will be dishing up risotto alla parmigiana topped with smoked bacon and miso-roasted mushrooms, and La Lune will be luring in hungry guests with its mushroom and foie gras pithivier. On the cocktail front, stop in to Midtown for a Martini Umami, which blends a Bulldog Gin with fermented pickle brine and dry vermouth, finished with a porcini mushroom and sea-salt rim. For a full rundown of The Umami Edit’s offerings, head to the Fish Lane website.

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